Worcester Bears U16s currently sit top if the Midland Conference of the U16s National League. Leadonites started off this match like a house on fire, racing out to an 11-5 lead, but that pace simply could not be maintained and Bears lead 22-11 at the end of the first. Thereafter it was a lesson in gym-style basketball as Bears simply ran their fast break style of play to perfection and the score deficit mounted up. Despite a final quarter collapse it was still a very good effort from our boys and girl. Back to training court in January and plenty of things to work on.Tom_D 17 pointsKaisan_T 14_pointsJames_S 10 pointsTeo_C-W 6 pointsSpecial mention to Blandine_B who becomes only the third girl to ever play for Leadonites.

Game 1: Worcester Bears U15B 38v20 Leadonites U15B (ht: 15-8)Time and again Leadonites defence was caught out by the Bears fast break and baseline cuts, leading to a disappointing result. Much to work on defensively from this match. Josh_S top scored with 10 points.

A poor first half that earned some harsh, and as it turned out premature, comments at half-time from Leadonites coach Chalkley. A true team effort from all 8 boys in the second half pulled this one out of the bag. Mentions in Dispatches for Ed_J (6 points) and team captain, Joseph_F each for their best performances in a Leadonites jersey yet. Fin_C top scored with 13 points including 3 of 4 free-throws at the death.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Worcester Bears U14B 74v37 Leadonites U14B(Q1: 18-8 / Q2: 12-8 / Q3: 23-9 / Q4: 21-12)With neither side playing their NL or main YBL players this was a chance for other players to get valuable game-time in a full 4x10-minute game-clock quarters match. Some nice positives but also several things to work on in training.Thanks to Sandra D for helping out with the coaching.Well Done to Captain Tom_S with 10 points and Toby_B with 15 points; welcome to the Leadonites Double-digit club, boys. :) You each owe Ben_L a thanks for a chunk of assists.

Thomas_S making a defensive block

Ben_L fronting up defensively

A typical Joseph_F manoeuvre as he steals the ball from a Bears opponent

Thanks to Indriani Richardson (Worcester Bears) for the use of the action photographs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Game 1: Worcester Bears (Orange) 31v2 Leadonites (ht: 17-0)Bears U12 first team is the best team for their age in the 3-counties and the gulf in class shone through. But the Leadonites boys competed and this is all good preparation for next season's U13s YBL.

Sunday, 3 December 2017

Saturday, 9th December 2017@ Ledbury Leisure Centre (sports hall @ JMHS)LEADONITES U17s Vs WORCESTER WOLVES U17s (1:15pm tip-off)With 2017 almost at a close Leadonites U17s will take to the court for their first match of the season when they entertain Worcester Wolves U17s of the YBL. Having had such a successful 2016/17 season the current seniors came close to dissolution over the summer and then had the ignominy of having to withdraw from the YBL WMFS Trophy in September. But the Seniors training group, now in their last season with Leadonites youth programme, have nine players to select from with seven returnees and two newbies, though one player is unavailable after an autumn broken arm. For their part, Worcester Wolves are five games into their YBL U17 South Division regular season sitting fourth out of seven teams with a current record of 2 wins and 3 loses; having lost 59-47 away to Frankley Falcons last time out. This match comes ahead of the following week's tough home match with WBA D-Squad who are on a run of two wins from two. Wolves head coach, Gareth Dalley is no stranger to Leadonites having been the training session assessor for Leadonites head coach, Matthew Chalkley, when he was undertaking the level 2 coaching award. Gareth also filled in as a coach, at short notice, for a Leadonites intramural friendly match a couple of seasons ago.LEADONITES U15s Vs STROUD SHARKS U15s (3:15pm tip-off)Stroud Sharks have been proud members of the Basketball England National League Regional Conference set up for some years but are now on a break from those competitions. They are no strangers to Leadonites with the two clubs having played each other at various age groups last season, and this, at Gloucestershire College's Glozball CVLs. In fact many of the players competing in Saturday's friendly will be familiar with each other with last season's U14s Glozball CVL. It was against Stroud Sharks that last season's U14s Leadonites team got their first win of the campaign in what was otherwise a tough (3-21) losing season. But the Sharks won out with an overall series record of three wins and just that one defeat against Leadonites.Game 1: (04/02/2017) Stroud Sharks 24 - 8 Leadonites (ht: 16-2)Game 2: (24/02/2017) Stroud Sharks 8 - 10 Leadonites (ht: 8-4)Game 3: (01/03/2017) Stroud Sharks 16 - 13 Leadonites (ht: 5-6)Game 4: (29/04/2017) Stroud Sharks 22 - 9 Leadonites (ht: 8-7)This will be an interesting contest with Leadonites U15s, now under the stewardship of head coach Ian Robb and his assistant, Rich Davis, currently on course for the YBL end of season play-offs.

Irene Wilkinson has become the first Leadonite to become fully qualified as a Level 2 Table Official.

Last summer six volunteers undertook the Basketball England Table Official Level 2 course that was held at the Halo Swimming Pool complex in Ledbury, with all six passing. However, to become fully qualified a candidate must then complete four matches that are signed off by a BE Level 2 graded referee; two matches on the score sheet and two matches as the score board operator/time keeper. Evidence of these are then sent away to the regional assessor before Basketball England issue the certificate.

Four more of those Leadonite volunteers should complete their mandatory matches and become fully qualified by the close of this season.

(Irene seen here, closest to camera, on table duties at Coventry Tornadoes in September 2017)

Thank you to all of our adult volunteers because without you this small club cannot operate.

"VOLUNTEERS aren't paid - not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless."

Sherry Anderson

Leadonites Basketball is a small club but it still takes a lot of time and effort to run and we are therefore always on the lookout for volunteer help.

So if you are a qualified coach or table official and want to get involved then please get in touch. If you are not currently qualified but willing to undertake training courses and are willing to commit your time to us then Leadonites will pay the relevant course fees.

We also need help in a number of other ways.

leadonitesbasketball@gmail.com

All images and content on this blog are the property of Leadonites Basketball. Simple theme. Powered by Blogger.